"Wait, Nanaba, look I know you are just trying to keep me safe, but I can do this. Besides this is the best chance we've got and you know it." Rico said, trying to convince her.
"But-."
"No but's, look I know the risk, and I'm willing to accept it. We need to get the information and free the people, no matter the costs. You have to trust me when I say I can do this."
Nanaba just stayed quiet for a few minutes staring at Rico's unwavering stubborn face. She finally broke. "Fine," she mumbled. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this." She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples before turning back to Rico, "I swear to god if you get hurt I'm going to be so pissed off."
"If I get hurt then I kill whoever hurt me," she shrugged.
"Maybe don't go that far," Nanaba mumbled, "but I get what you're saying."
"Alright, we will add that into the play." Pixis nodded patting Nanaba on the back before leaning in and whispering, "the kids are so stubborn nowadays."
"I know, I have no clue where they get it from," she mumbled. I bursted into laughter, and I wasn't the only one Levi and Rico were right there with me. Armin and Christa bless their hearts, just stared at us a little confused.
"Alright everyone, we are starting from the point after Nanaba and Armin finish grabbing the keys." He announced as everyone headed back into the control room.
Pixis had Rico and Christa fill the rest of their team in. Levi filled in both my teams and team C of the changes while Nanaba and Pixis filled in the rest of their team. When they were done Pixis gave me a nod to let me know that they were all ready to start back up again. I made myself weightless and gave Pixis a thumbs up.
"Alright Start," he called out.
They started back up. "We just finished gathering all the keys," Nanaba said again letting everyone know where we left off.
"Teams A is heading into the hallway," Levi announced. "We are checking to make sure the hall is clear."
"Team C is following behind team A and entering the hallway," Hanji called out.
"Team D is following team A and C and entering the hallway," Berthold announced.
"I am using my heat vision to check how many people are in the morgue and the guard barracks as well as making sure that none are coming out into the hallway," Marlowe said after looking at Levi.
Oh, that's a good idea. Nice addition. I thought to Levi and he gave me a smile and a thumbs up.
Ymir spoke up next, "I am sending a spirit to check out the two rooms. "They will tell me what the people in the morgue are doing, or holding, and if anyone is awake in the guard's barracks, so our teammates will know what they are getting into."
"Oh, that's smart," I mumbled to myself. I didn't even think of doing that.
"I am entering the morgue," Christa said before walking into the room.
"I am entering the guards' barracks," Rico said walking into the room.
They both walked out and walked back to their team. I looked at Levi and thought to him. Keep it toned down so no one gets too worried. Stay with the other groups.
He gave me a tiny nod before announcing, "Team A is entering the red and green badge cell area," and with that my team walked through the doorway.
Team C and D followed. They all announced how they would take out the guards and how they would act. Team A announced they were moving on to the next hallway. Team C stayed behind with team D for a moment. Team A waited for them in the hallway. Which I can say definitely wouldn't be the case for the real run-through.
"Team C has finished healing everyone and is sending them to the control room," Hanji called out.
"Team D has finished up the fight and incapacitated all of the guards in this area," Berthold announced.
Team C and D met back up with team A in the hallway. "Team A is entering the blue badge cell area," Levi announced and the other teams followed his lead. When they finished in there they headed into the hallway to make sure no guards would enter in through the entrance on that side. They waited for team C and D to finish and meet up with them before announcing they were heading back to team B and were ready to walk through the portal back home.
"That was a good run-through everyone," I announced before coming down to meet them.
"Good, we will be doing it a few more times, but this time you will be joining us rather than watching," Pixis told me.
"Okay, I'm ready," I said heading over to my group.
We did a few more run-throughs like this before Pixis announced that we need to practice with enemies. He pulled Sasha from my team and asked for her to lend a hand as well as the others who were standing there watching us.
Pixis pulled Levi and me aside to talk to us. "I'm sorry you will have to do this without Sasha," he told me and I nodded.
"I mean she's getting practice too," I shrugged, "just a different kind of practice. All that matters is that she's prepared to fight when the time comes. , and don't worry I'll make sure she knows exactly what to do the whole mission." said looking at her and she nodded in agreement.
"That's right, besides I pretty much got my role down already I know what I'm supposed to do Levi and I talked about it." She said.
I looked at Levi a little confused but waited for Pixis to head back to his own groups before mentally asking what she meant.
"She's worried about the two kids in the group so she and I discussed it saying that her power would be great to protect them. They literally have a wall of Sasha bodyguards protecting them from harm." Levi shrugged.
"That's actually genius," I mumbled as we walked back to our group.
We did a run-through without any call outs this time which was a little harder and we made more mistakes since Thomas's power wasn't connecting the team leaders so we didn't coordinate as well. We finished the run-through and all of us looked defeated. It's not like any of us were actually hurt anywhere except for our pride.
"Hey it's alright everyone, that's why we are practicing, so stuff like this doesn't happen during the real thing," Pixis said trying to lighten everyone's mood.
"We are going to do one more run-through tonight with enemies," he announced and Thomas's hand shot up. Pixis nodded and let him speak.
"I know we weren't going to be using people's powers today, but can we make an exception, I think mine would help everyone especially since my power takes a little getting used to."
Pixis looked to Nanaba for permission and when she nodded he gave the okay. "Alright, let's give it a try," he said.
We pulled all the team leaders aside. Pixis, Nanaba, Hanji, Berthold, and myself all walked over. Pixis classifies Nanaba as a co-team leader since he admits he is biased. He wants her to be able to make calls involving her own group as well as call him out on stupid shit based on what's happening on the actual mission.
"Thomas activated his power and I heard voices in my head that weren't my own and damn he was right this is going to take some getting used to. My head hurts just trying to keep track of the voices. I wonder if this is what Levi feels like constantly.
"Damn right," he yelled across the room at me, "sucks doesn't it." He laughed.
Everyone was looking at him like he was crazy. Someone is enjoying this too much.
"So how it works is you have to kinda set it up in your own mind as a room where you are all sitting in, and when you want your thoughts to go to another person you think about the room and a person. You can think about their name or face. Everyone in the room will hear it, but they will know who it's directed at. If you don't imagine this then all the thoughts will crowd you at once and overwhelm you."
I closed my eyes and I could all of a sudden see a room. It wasn't a room I recognized. It was someone else's thought. Nanaba's I think. It was a smallish room that had no doors or windows. We were all sitting around a table with empty chairs.
I thought to her asking why there were some chairs empty. She thought back that this is the room that Thomas showed her the first time he used his power on them. There are seven chairs, one that is solely for Thomas and six more that he can add people too.
That's right he did say he can connect up to seven people including himself.
Exactly. Also anytime you think of an image that you want to show someone or the others it will appear on the table. Nanaba explained.
"We should get started, so we can try and squeeze in two run-throughs before my power starts to backlash," Thomas suggested. "With five people connected we only have about an hour."
"Noted," Pixis said before having everyone head back over to their team.
I looked at Levi and spoke to him rather than think to him. "Can you still read my thoughts with his power on me, last time you tried that it didn't go over well?"
"I'm prepared for it now, besides there's a difference between reading your mind and reading a stranger's mind," he said before letting out a devious smile. "Just make sure not to think any bad thoughts while they are in your head, we wouldn't want that," he whispered in my ear."
"Fuck you," I said but all I could think now was, don't think anything bad don't think anything bad don't think anything ba-."
Damn Eren we heard you the first 20 times, Hanji's laugh echoed in my head, We get it you don't want to think anything bad, but you do realize you have to be thinking of the room when you think said things so stop panicking.
It's very hard to separate the room from any of my thoughts at the moment, I thought back.
Nanaba was just laughing in my head, don't worry if anything slips, it will happen eventually, trust me we've seen it all in here I don't judge.
That's even worse, don't tell me that. Besides, it's not you I'm worried about. I thought especially about Hanji. Who knows what she would do with anything that might slip from my mind.
Before anyone could say anything I just glared at Levi seeing a smile slip across his face. "Think of this like payback from all the times you thought bad things to me in public and made me suffer. If I was you, I'd remember this the next time you do try that shit again."
"I hate you," I said but he just ignored me and leaned in my ear before whispering dirty things in my ear.
"Alright everyone let's get started," Pixis called out trying to hide his laughter. I looked over at Berthold who was also trying not to laugh. He had his hand over his mouth and his eyes closed.
This is going to be one hell of an hour. Is it possible to die from embarrassment? I'm sure I've already let one or two thoughts slip. I have kept my eyes away from the table. I don't even want to know if any images have appeared on it from my mind. This fucking sucks. My boyfriend is the literal devil.